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THE GROWTH OF THE FEED BUSINESSIn 1921 Allen came west to work with his uncle Manesseh Weber who owned the Rosebud Flour Mill, as a steam engineer. Manesseh Weber was the son of Andrew Weber & Veronica Shantz Weber. The original flour mill was burnt down in 1910 and rebuilt in 1911.
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Manesseh Weber 18yrsCirca late 1800s
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Manesseh Weber 1956Circa 1956
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Andrew WeberCirca late 1800s
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Veronica Shantz WeberCirca late 1800s
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Maple Leaf Mill FireCirca 1910
Didsbury, Alberta, Canada
Credits:Didsbury Museum Archives
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Farmers hauled their wheat by horse and wagon to Weber's Rosebud Flour Mill where it was processed into flour and taken home for winter supply. The mill also made flour to sell to local businesses and shipped it by rail to other companies. There was a railroad spur line that ran beside the mill that also served a grain elevator that later was torn down. They also developed the Rosebud Pancake Flour which was very popular and well know for its quality. This mill was once again destroyed by fire in 1948. Mr. Weber sold the patent rights of Rosebud Pancake Flour to the Byers Flour Milling Company of Camrose, Alberta.21
Rosebud Flour TruckCirca early 1900s
Didsbury, Alberta, Canada
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Rosebud Flour SackCirca early 1900s
Didsbury, Alberta, Canada
Credits:Didsbury Museum Archives
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In 1928 Allen Gole purchased the first school house located on 20th Street in Didsbury and established a small feed & seed cleaning plant, known as Gole's Cleaning and Grinding Mill. A specialty product "oat groats" used for small animal feeds was produced and shipped to McKeckran's in Wetaskiwin, Ellison's in Lethbridge, Canada Packers, and Gold Medal Feeds in Calgary. Annie would have to run the mill while Allen delivered the feed. Once Stan became old enough to drive, he took over the deliveries.24
First School HouseCirca early 1900s
Didsbury, Alberta, Canada
Credits:Didsbury Museum Archives
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Farmers brought their grain in to be processed to feed their animals. Wheat and oats were rolled to produce cracked wheat flour and oat groats which were used for porridge, and whole wheat flour was used in baking. The flour was hand screened. Oats and other grains were also stored at the mill for purchase and some was shipped to South America by Brackman & Kerr from Vancouver. Later supplements for cattle and other farm animals were introduced into the grain mixture and available for farmers to purchase to increase their production.A fire destroyed this mill in 1951 and the Fleury family (Reta Fleury was Manesseh Weber's daughter) offered them the property where the old Rosebud Flour Mill had once stood. Allen Gole purchased this property and he and Stan started to rebuild the mill. With salvaged and second hand machinery, lots of planning and many hours of hard work by the family, a new mill took shape.
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Mill on 20th Street - Early Construction Viewed from SouthCirca 1930
Didsbury, Alberta, Canada
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Mill on 20th Street - Facing NorthCirca 1930-1932
Didsbury, Alberta, Canada
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